Study Reveals 24,000 Chemicals In Bottled Water

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Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) which possibly produce negative effects on development and reproduction have been discovered by German researchers, and these were found in 18 different bottled waters. Di (2-ethylhexyl) fumarate (DEHF) is the one of the 24,520 suspicious chemicals present in bottled water that demonstrated consistent results and showed anti-androgenic and anti-estrogenic activity. Endocrine disruptors are substances that can seriously affect the hormone system leading to cancerous tumors, cardiovascular disorders, metabolic disorders, birth defects and other developmental disorders.

The researcher was conducted by Martin Wagner and Jorg Oehlmann of the Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, and Michael Schlusener and Thomas Ternes of the German Federal Institute of Hydrology. They findings revealed that bottled water could contain alarming quantities of EDCs.

Spectrometric simulation was used to restrict the findings to DEHF as the only potential EDC causing dangerous activity. Also known as an anti-estrogenic compound, DEHF indicated that another unidentified EDC must be present in the samples that showed anti-androgenic activity.

A sensitive in vitro bioassay was used by the scientists to determine the total estrogenic load leaching from plastics, comprising possible mixture effects and unidentified EDCs.

A series of other studies employing a similar methodology discovered a prevalent estrogenic contamination of bottled water available on the market. Here, biological and chemical analyses were combined to determine suspected steroid receptor antagonists in bottled water. In the bioassays most of the products were strongly anti-estrogenic and anti-androgenic.

Maleate and fumarate isomers were recognized in a non-target high-resolution mass spectrometry as potential disruptors which consequently led to the identification of di (2-ethylhexyl) fumarate.

Yet, its concentration is so low that it cannot account for the detected activity, which implies that other compounds must contribute. On the other hand, further maleate/fumarate isomers are not only organically active but structurally very similar to phthalates.

Hence, it is believed that these compounds might comprise a new, so far undetected group of EDCs. The presence of EDCs in bottled water is substantiated by a rising number of in vitro studies.

As former studies concentrated on estrogenicity, the current research offers proof of further contamination with steroid receptor antagonists. Antiestrogens and antiandrogens were identified in most of examined bottled water products.

Furthermore, the antagonist activity was very powerful. Corresponding 3.75ml of bottled water inhibited estrogen and androgen receptor by as much as 60-90%.

Estrogenic, anti-estrogenic, as well as androgenic, progestagenic, and glucocorticoid-like chemicals were found in bottled water from six different countries. It’s simply another indication that this popular beverage is contaminated with diverse-acting EDCs.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

There is a simple solution, avoid drinking bottled water! Moreover, you can opt for water filters that remove the chlorine and fluoride from your water, and these are quite available.

24,000 chemicals is a lot of chemicals to enter your body. Not all of them are harmful, but still, taking the chance is not worthwhile.

The following video provides a lot more information about what needs to be known when it comes to bottled water:

Some of these chemicals that come from the plastic can commonly be tasted in water, especially if the bottle is left in the sun for a while.